Audio Blood

If the names Pentimento and Young English mean nothing to you, it is time to wake up and smell the split! Hitting stores April 17th (available for digital download/LP/CD through Panic Records March 27th) is the split from NY punk acts, Pentimento and Young English.

Pentimento continue to build a solid reputation of what their band is all about and what you can rely on them to always bring to the table: Jeramiah Pauly’s soothing voice that somehow manages to creep down into your chest and thrash around with the force of a tornado, guitar and drum work that has the precision of an X-Acto knife, and at the very core, lyrics that resonate within each person whose ears it falls upon, but that are captured and depicted in such a way that you swear the song was written solely and entirely for you, alone.  Pentimento’s half of the split supplies the kind of honesty that only your inner dialogue seems to say and spotlights the notion that being at ease in your own skin is the only thing that ever mattered all along.  ”To the Bridge”:

It’s not about love, it’s not about trust.

Just being comfortable collapsing on the shores where you wash up.

Young English take on the latter portion of the split with an air of confidence in their brand, as well they should.  In the days of dubstep, auto-tune and basically everything else that prevents true talent and emotion from existing in current music, Young English bring to mind memories of when music actually moved you, and not in the literal sense because the bass was turned all the way up.  They have a strong handle on the emotional punk genre and a maturity that says they are not messing around.  If you need more proof, look no further than “Old Wives Tale”:

You said, ‘I am original sin,

picked that tree dry and wore my luck thin’,

in the pouring rain,

where there’s hope there’s faith that I can mend my mistakes.

Both bands took on the daunting task of covering two beloved songs of the past twenty years: Pentimento covering Dashboard Confessional’s “The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most” and Young English with Smashing Pumpkin’s “Tonight, Tonight.”  Some would cry, “blasphemy!”  Some may say, “ambitious.”  But I would say, “bravo!”  It takes some serious cojones to select a song with such a large reputation and try to re-imagine it in the shade of your own band’s music.  But to do that, and do it well?  It rarely happens twice in the same year, and I am very proud to say Pentimento and Young English did it on the same album.

Order your copy of the Pentimento / Young English Split today or look for it in stores April 17th.

http://www.panicrecords.net/estore/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=pentimento+english+split

You can’t blame a girl who is trying to make a name for herself. =)

I host a weekly radio rock show at my alma mater, Rowan University, aptly named “Audio Blood”.  I cover all different kinds of music that fall under the alternative rock veil.  If you need a soundtrack to your Monday evenings from 9-11PM, visit http://wgls.rowan.edu and click the ‘Listen Live’ button on the left!

I also have an official “Audio Blood” Facebook page.  Click the ‘Like’ button and become part of the Audio Blood community!

www.facebook.com/audiobloodaa

Thank you for your support!

Hit the Lights have been giving their music career the college try since 2003, releasing four EPs, three full-lengths, and even one split in their nine year career. 

Many people consider this band to be a staple in the new pop-punk community of the 2010s.  To those people, this review is not for you.  I can guarantee you have formed a solid opinion about Hit the Lights and whatever I say will not sway you, and I love that.  That kind of devotion is what keeps music alive, and I fully support that. This review, however, is for the people that were not so easily sold on Hit the Lights; the naysayers.  I will wholly admit that I was not a fan.  I considered their music to be straight-up pop that did not work for me.  I thought their past releases were too over-produced where a little raw grit would have served them nicely.  I thought they were immature and not living up to their full potential.  I never held back when it came to Hit the Lights, and I think that’s because I saw so much more than what they were spoon-feeding us.

Invicta, released on January 31st, made me stop and reevaluate the way I thought of Hit the Lights.  I didn’t listen to this album and think, “glorified boy band”.  This album has a maturity that I never heard on any of their previous releases or even the multiple times I have seen them perform live.  Lead singer, Nick Thompson, pushed his voice to the next level and the range you hear on Invicta is like night and day from what you are used to.  “So Guilty” is probably my favorite song on Invicta, and I attest that to Thompson’s go-for-it attitude.  The drums and percussion, on this album, seep into your body and make you want to move. I challenge you to listen to “Earthquake” or “Gravity” and try to stand still.  It’s impossible and I love that.  Is this album still poppy? Absolutely.  Is it pop done right? Hell yes.

I have two complaints with the release of Invicta, and it has nothing to do with the quality of the album.  In the latter portion of 2011, an Invicta EP was released, featuring three songs off of the full-length.  I think this was not a well-thought out decision because the three featured songs are heavy hitters as stand out songs on the full-length, so the initial first listen bite was gone.  It felt like you were re-listening to an album, instead of taking in something brand new.  My second complaint is the release should have been pushed back a few months.  Invicta screams summer and oozes the energy of fun in the sun, driving with the windows down and the warm air engulfing you.  It loses a bit of that feeling in the cold winter months.

That aside, no one is more pleasantly surprised with this album than I am.  I was a naysayer.  I did not want to like this band.  I have felt let down by them before, but like every typical girl, second and third… and fourth chances are my forte.  This one finally stuck.

I haven’t forgotten about Audio Blood. It’s definitely been a lesson in time management in 2012. The good news is that as we slowly work our way into the new year, some amazing albums are dropping and fantastic tours are being announced daily. I see big things for Audio Blood and I can’t wait to get started.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for following Audio Blood. This is a vision of mine that I have wanted to do for years. Thank you for taking the time to be a part of my dream.

10. Into It. Over It. - Proper

Standout Song: “Discretion & Depressing People”

9. Twin Atlantic - Free

Standout Song: “Yes, I Was Drunk”

8. Saves the Day - Daybreak

Standout Song: “Undress Me” 

7. Transit - Listen & Forgive

Standout Song: “You Can’t Miss It (It’s Everywhere)”

6. Balance and Composure - Separation

Standout Song: “I Tore You Apart in My Head” 

5. Mixtapes - Maps & Companions

Standout Song: “Sunsets”

4. Sum 41 - Screaming Bloody Murder

Standout Song: “Crash”

3. The Front Bottoms - The Front Bottoms

Standout Song: “Bathtub”

2. Yellowcard - When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes

Standout Song: “With You Around”

1. Fireworks - Gospel

Standout Song: “Teeth”

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

• All Get Out - The Season
• Against Me! - Total Clarity
• Polar Bear Club - Clash Battle Guilt Pride
• Man Overboard - Man Overboard
• The Wonder Years - Suburbia, I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing
• The Story So Far - Under Soil & Dirt
• Red City Radio - The Dangers of Standing Still
• Banner Pilot - Heart Beats Pacific
• Washington Square Park - Washington Square Park
• Four Year Strong - In Some Way, Shape, or Form

***Note:  I may eventually add write-ups onto this as I find time, but this is my official list for 2011.  Enjoy! =)

The Note

West Chester, PA

Say Anything enthusiasts everywhere rejoiced at the announcement of another round of solo acoustic performances from vivacious front man, Max Bemis.  After a very successful string of tour dates in early spring, attendance to the winter edition was a no-brainer, resulting in multiple sell-outs along the way.

Opening for Bemis was none other than wife/Eisley front woman, Sherri DuPree, putting the night in contention for the “most adorable acoustic show” ever.  DuPree performed select Eisley songs to a fairly quiet crowd, but the first sign of true reception occurred when Bemis joined his wife onstage to perform songs from their side-project, Perma.  Exiting the stage not before getting a kiss, Bemis handed the spotlight back to DuPree, who finished up her set with her unorthodox holiday tune, “White Christmas Nightmare”. 

Bemis was alive with more than the glory of love as he opened his performance, airing much more confidence than he portrayed on his spring tour.  The crowd immediately took on sing-along status, providing the backing vocals for Bemis’ lacking band on tracks like “Alive With the Glory of Love” and “Belt”.  Bemis covered all of the “must hear” songs, but dug fairly deep in the Say Anything discography, pulling out tracks like “Baseball, But Better,” “Showdown at P-Town,” “Slumming It With Johnny,” and “Walk Through Hell.”  A truly special moment of the evening was hearing the album recreation of “Cemetery”, in which Dupree joined the stage once more to provide her cameo appearance in the song.

Another memorable moment of the night was the debut of a brand new song to be featured on Say Anything’s upcoming album, “Anarchy, My Dear,” called none other than, “Say Anything.”  With lyrics proving that Bemis’ love-induced attitude was not just a fad on the self-titled album, the new tune surely revved fans excitement for the new album, set to be released in spring of 2012.  The evening ended on an extremely high note, with Bemis and the crowd performing an earsplitting call-and-response for the finale of “Belt”.

The night may have wrapped up early, ending just before 8PM, but this acoustic performance wrapped up 2011 as one of the best acoustic performances of the entire year!

The Starland Ballroom

Sayreville, NJ

The concert this past Saturday was a highlight of the year for music lover’s.  Four very talented bands came together to celebrate the reunion of a beloved band from New Jersey.

The show kicked off with Young Statues, an indie band out of the NJ/Philadelphia area.  Up-and-coming in the music scene, Young Statues played with a quiet confidence; awkward banter with the crowd, but self-assurance in their musical creations.

Up next were A Great Big Pile of Leaves, who jumped on the bill after The Dangerous Summer canceled multiple dates of their current tour.  This Brooklyn indie rock act played with a precision you do not see or hear so often these days.  Mellow tones, but catchy choruses that surely get stuck in your head for days on end.  Lead singer/guitarist, Pete Weiland, is an unlikely frontman, with his soft spoken, timid demeanor, but once he began singing, you quickly understood.  The combination of his strong voice, backing vocals and music make for some truly intricate and beautiful music.

Ohio-based pop punk act, Hit the Lights, were the alarm sent to wake the crowd up after being lulled into an indie fog.  Chock full of fast beats and electric energy, Hit the Lights played to a crowd full of surfers striving to get their chance to scream the lyrics into an outstretched mic.  With the new album, “Invicta”, expected out sometime next year, the band tried out two new songs on very welcome ears and received a great reception.

Finally, it was the moment everyone had waited for.  The Early November took the stage once again, only the second time after their split five years ago.  With new marriages, new careers, and new children, it was as if a single day had not passed for The Early November.  Kicking things off with “Baby Blue”, the set was brimming with exclamations of “I LOVE this song”.  Frontman, Ace Enders, constantly acknowledged how special the evening was for the band, reminding them of all the good times The Early November experienced throughout their career.  Covering songs from each of their albums, every fan’s satisfaction was met.

The pinnacle of the night, most definitely, was the encore. Ace Enders performed The Early November’s very first song, “Sunday Drive”, on the acoustic guitar.  As he belted out and gave it his very all, as he always has, it was literally impossible to deny Ace Enders’ powerful voice.  Before leading into the final song of the evening, the band took another moment out to thank each person who attended the reunion show that night, and as a way to give their thanks and appreciation, they announced they will be making another full-length album due out in spring of 2012! (Writer’s note: I just got goosebumps, yet again, typing this.)  The show wrapped up with “Every Night’s Another Story”, with every single attendee screaming out the lyrics in sync with the band.  It was a night for the story books, a night that will not soon be forgotten.